[petalmasher]

Hello Crackberry people,

I have had Blackberrys (I think I�m on my 5th one) for my job for over a decade now. At first I loved them, then I was indifferent, and the most recent version (9930 ?), I dislike. I travel a lot for work and find myself in towns and cities I don�t know well a lot of the time. For locating things and getting directions to them, the phones I have had just aren't on par with and Iphone or a good android phone. 10 years ago, no phones could do that stuff well, so I didn't mind. As phones advanced and other phones were becoming more useful I was a little annoyed that I couldn't, but hey, it was a free phone so I wasn't complaining. I got in the habit of borrowing my wife�s tablet whenever I left town in order to do all the things the blackberry couldn't.

I was hopeful that the 9000 version would have a decent mapping application and voice driven directions� no such luck. What�s worse is that the proximity sensor is so nonfunctional that it seems to pick a number from someplace towards the top of my contact list and dial it every time I forget to push the lockout button as I slip it into my pocket. My friends Abdean, Adam and Alex are beginning to get angry with me. It also somehow has a magical ability to conference my Mom into the call every time I�m talking to my boss or an important customer. I know it isn�t just me or my phone for the following reasons:

1. I received a warranty replacement when the microphone stopped working and new one does the exact same things.

2. My co workers who have the same phone are having the same problems.

3. A keyword search of the 9000 forum also showed that many are having the same problem.

I also have to keep re-installing apps when they stop working after a few months, and most don�t work well to begin with.

I�ve had my phone long enough now that I can upgrade to a Z10, but I can Keep the phone I have now for a while if I want. I have a feeling the z10 will be the last generation of Blackberry my company will be using and they�ll probably be switching to apple or droid fairly soon. If I can hang on with my 9930, I will be eligible to upgrade as soon as whatever�s next becomes available. If I want to rid myself current phone now and get a z10, I�ll be stuck with it for a while. My question is this; for someone who isn�t necessarily in love with blackberry, how likely am I to want to start leaving the tablet at home if I have a z10? If I can just find nearby locations and get directions to them nearly as easily I could easily as I can with my already somewhat outdated android tablet I�ll be happy. If not, I�m holding out for something else. One caveat is that My phone is linked to my company account, so I can only download free apps.

Even if there is a way for me to pay myself, I won�t do it. A modern smartphone ought to have a functional proximity sensor and be able to direct me to the nearest coffee shop without having to buy more stuff.

If any z10 owners think they can give an unbiased answer, I would love to hear it.

Thanks

[g33kphr33k]

Which country?

There are numerous apps out for GPS, even Foursquare will show you what's local. In the UK, I use M8 as a complete GPS and sat navigation system, it's amazing and FREE.

Have a look at BlackBerry App World and I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for.

Posted via CB10

[jpvj]

The Z10 is a fine phone and it works great. IMHO the quality issues seen on the older BB devices are not an issue anymore. Of course you will find defective devices. The OS it self is very stable and much more powerfull, but lacks apps.

In these days the new OS 10.2.1 is being tested and approved by carriers around the globe. One of the more interesting news is the ability to install Android apps (.apk files) directly. The Android implementation however is not 100% of what you find on an Android device (due to missing agreement with Google). This causes a few (<10%) to crash or not work as expected.

Only BlackBerry knows what the future will bring (e.g. full Android support with Google Services Framework and Google Maps).

At the moment you can use the Snap app (3. part Google Play implementation) to find, download and install Android apps - i.e. Google Maps.

This is of course not the same out-of-the-box solution you will find on an Android or iPhone device, so if you need a huge app selection out-of-the-box you would probably look at Android or iOS. BB 10 is with a little trick very close to an Android device. I would recommend you to test a Z10 with OS 10.2.1 and Snap and see if it works for you before you decide.

PS: I am a huge, long term BlackBerry fan but try to be subjective and honest about the situation.

[chalx]

Look at Mireo dont panic. Maps are not free but I'm more than happy with it. I've used IGO on IOS and Android and with Mireo I got same functionality.

Posted via CB10

[jaydee5799]

Hi and welcome.
OS7 just doesn't have the ability to offer you what you want. but if you used my Z10 for one day, I bet you wouldn't give it back to me! It does everything you want and more. Driving directions, apps, music, two cameras, and the ability to have the andorid store on my phone so all droid apps are on my phone as well. Don't be so quick to say you are going to an apple or droid. How can you say something like that without ever having tried a Z10 or Z30 (which they say is even better)?

Borrow someone's Z10 and try it out. It is a world of difference between OS 7 and BB10. You can't even imagine.

[oystersourced]

Mireo Don't Panic, it's reliable and the most accurate Satnav I've ever used.

Posted via CB10

[Mr.Monty]

Sorry to hear of your trouble with your 9930. My 9930 was one of my favorite devices, if it had 4G LTE I'd probably still have it. (Nothing wrong with my Z10, I may have just not been as inclined to upgrade to it.)

Maps on BB10 is much better than BB Traffic on the 9900/9930 series.


I've relied on BBMaps on my Z10 for 2 hour trips that weren't too technical (ie, on the same roads for awhile, not many turns) to 1 hour drives into, through, and around Pittsburgh. For longer, technical trips I still rely on a dedicated GPS (and paper maps/atlas).

When I first got my Z10, I used it alongside my Garmin (which doesn't have traffic info) and went to places I already knew how to get to to try out the Z10 routes. I've preferred a few routes the Z10 took me on because it detoured around major intersections and higher traffic areas and got similar (maybe slightly longer--within 5-10 minutes) arrival times.

I haven't tried any of the third party apps available on BB, so I can't comment on them.

[Colin Wu]

Waze is one you should definitely check out. (they got bought up by Google not too long ago). There is a version for iOS, Android and BB10, though I prefer the Android version myself.

- voice navigation
- user reported hazards/accidents/road conditions /police presence / road closure in real time
- destination search from FB, 4sq, yp, Bing Google, your contacts
Etc

I use it all the time.

Posted via CB10

[petalmasher]

Sorry to hear of your trouble with your 9930. My 9930 was one of my favorite devices, if it had 4G LTE I'd probably still have it.

Just reading on this forum, I've been pretty surprised by how many people like this phone. I've found everything to be so excruciatingly flaky and slow that I don't even bother trying to do much of anything other than make phone calls and even then I have the problems with the proximity sensor. The only people I've ever encountered who had the same phone were coworkers who have pretty much all the same problems. I wonder if some of the software the IT department is pushing to the phones is messing things up. Based on my experience with this phone the idea that someone might actually like it is fairly inconceivable. It is good to hear, however that the Z10 is a significant improvement it may be worth upgrading, even if it means I have to wait longer to get whatever comes after blackberry.

[petalmasher]

Sorry to hear of your trouble with your 9930. My 9930 was one of my favorite devices, if it had 4G LTE I'd probably still have it.

Just reading on this forum, I've been pretty surprised by how many people like this phone. I've found everything to be so excruciatingly flaky and slow that I don't even bother trying to do much of anything other than make phone calls and even then I have the problems with the proximity sensor. The only people I've ever encountered who had the same phone were coworkers who have pretty much all the same problems. I wonder if some of the software the IT department is pushing to the phones is messing things up. Based on my experience with this phone the idea that someone might actually like it is fairly inconceivable. It is good to hear, however that the Z10 is a significant improvement it may be worth upgrading, even if it means I have to wait longer to get whatever comes after blackberry.

[BobWalker]

I use mine all the time and prefer BlackBerry Maps to Google Maps for voice-guided navigation. It just does a great job of steering you around traffic (if you set it to do that), has very accurate data about road conditions ("Traffic slows in one half mile."). There are other options, though, including Google Maps on 10.2.1 which I suggest you install.

Really, if you're criticizing the Z10 on this front, it seems you haven't really tried it.

I've had zero problems with mine and find it to be a huge upgrade from my previous phone.

Oh, and welcome to Crackberry, by the way. Nice first post.

[donmateo]

I also travel frequently. I use BlackBerry Maps and Waze on my Z10. BlackBerry Maps quits on my occasionally, but nothing too horrid.

Posted via CB10

[FF22]

I used BB Traffic on the 9930 and thought it was actually pretty good. But I also like the Mireo app because you can use the maps, once purchased and downloaded, without additional data.

[petalmasher]

I wasn't criticizing the Z10, I was criticizing the Bold 9930. I had the traffic app installed for a while, but after turning down the GPS when renting a car at the airport, I tried to use it to get to a job and it failed to get directions, I ended up showing up late. I uninstalled the app just so I wouldn't be tempted to rely on it again. Maybe I should give it a try again.

The only thing I know about the Z10 is what I saw on the CNET review, which wasn't horribly complimentary of Blackberry maps. There has been talk around my company that the next generation of phones they get (they usually change once a year or so and they first started issuing out z10s to new people about 6 months ago) wasn't going to be a blackberry. I just know I'm not happy with the 9930 and I don't want to upgrade to the Z10, find out it isn't any better than the 9930, then be stuck with it for however long my company's contract is after they have moved to something better.

[donmateo]

Z10 is many steps above the 9900s IMO

[FF22]

Maybe you can borrow one for a while to test it out. Hands on may be the best way to determine if it is a device you'd like or use.

[petalmasher]

Thanks for the input everyone. I just put in a request for a new phone on the basis of a malfunctioning proximity sensor in my 9930 Bold. After reading replies here, reviews online and playing with the display at the Verizon store while I was there for something else, it really does seem to be, at least in terms of hardware on par with the rest of the market. The only valid complaint that seems to be intrinsic to the Z10 that I saw (and likely the reason why the Z10 didn’t turn out to be the Pi�ce de r�sistance Blackberry was hoping for) was that it takes a while to figure out.
Anyway, since a company supplied phone is Free, I guess I’ll take the time to learn it. Maybe if I hold onto it it’ll be a collector’s item some day